Posts Tagged ‘Alexandra Whisnant’

Valentine’s Day approaches! I really enjoy sourcing our chocolate selection here at Bi-Rite, with a goal of providing a range of sweets for every taste, and helping our guests to find something special to share with loved ones. Chocolate is a sure way to put a smile on someone’s face and make their day truly special.

Valentine’s display at our 18th Street store

Chocolat Moderne is a producer I love to work with for special holidays, and they never disappoint. Their “Baby, you’re the one!” assortment has dark, white, and milk chocolate hearts with pink and red swirls that look like the unfolding petals of a rose. The flavors include passion fruit cardamom caramel, raspberry rendez-vous dark ganache, sea salted caramel, and a dark ganache laced with Tuthilltown Spirits Baby Bourbon. A truly stunning and unique collection!

You can always find chocolates on our shelves from renowned local chocolatier Neo Cocoa, named by Dessert Professional as one of the “Top Ten Chocolatiers in North America.” This February we’re excited about their Neo Cocoa Dark Raspberry Truffles, which combine bold, red raspberry with rich, dark chocolate for a classic pairing of Valentine’s flavors. Neo Cocoa are known for their luxuriously melt-in-your-mouth chocolate experience.

For a lovingly hand-crafted option that makes a truly special Valentine’s gift, we’re thrilled about one of the newest additions to our chocolate selections, gâté comme des filles. These exquisite truffles are made to order in small batches each week by master chocolatier Alexandra Whisnant, who trained for her patisserie degree in France before working for Berkeley’s world-renowned restaurant Chez Panisse. Each ganache is hand-whisked to create a filling both fluffy and rich, with flavors that peak within the first few days after production. This month our shelves will be graced with some surprise special Valentine’s flavors created by Alexandra for the holiday, so come by either of our Market locations to pick some up. These truly exceptional and special treats are meant to be savored.

We stock a wide assortment of excellent local artisanal chocolates at Bi-Rite, and as grocery buyer it’s my privilege to taste dozens of varieties in order to select the finest options for our stores. This year I was blown away by the chocolates crafted by gâté comme des filles. They’re something special, and I’m truly thrilled to bring them to our guests. The exquisite offerings from this small Oakland-based company will grace the shelves of both of our Market locations just in time for the holidays and are, quite simply, the best chocolates I’ve ever tasted.

They are designed and crafted by chocolatier Alexandra Whisnant, who trained for her patisserie degree in France before working for Berkeley’s world-renowned restaurant Chez Panisse. She founded gâté comme des filles just this year and the company is in full swing, lovingly crafting the freshest chocolates you’ll ever taste.

Alexandra’s chocolates are a feast for the eyes as much as for the palate. Before you luxuriate in their rich filling and to-die-for texture, take some time to appreciate their aesthetic beauty. Each design is bright and expressive, each piece glittery and unique. They’re so easy to covet, you might forget that their ultimate purpose is to be enjoyed for their sublime taste! But don’t wait too long, for these marvelous chocolates, created by this master of the field, need to be eaten fresh in order to be optimally enjoyed; Alexandra’s recommendation is that they be eaten within five days of production. Without the constraint of prolonged shelf life, Alexandra is able to freely express the full potential of her ingredients, leading to the creation of vibrant flavors and pleasing textures not normally available in store-bought confections. As a result, they will not always be available to purchase and pre-orders are highly recommended. They make for a holiday gift like no other, but are meant to be promptly and thoroughly enjoyed, and we recommend that you encourage anyone fortunate to receive them as a gift to do just that.

To indulge in gâté comme des filles this holiday season, keep the following delivery dates in mind:

Friday, November 22nd

Friday, November 29th

Friday, December 6th

Friday, December 13th

Sunday, December 22nd

Saturday, December 28th

This weekend, Alexandra will be spending time at both of our market locations, where you can taste and discuss her chocolates with her. She’ll be at our Divisadero store from 2-5pm on Saturday, November 23rd and at our 18th Street store from 2-5pm on Sunday, November 24th. If you miss out on these tastings, don’t despair – the chocolates will be available on our shelves throughout the holiday season, and we’ll be offering several more chances to try them during Christmastime. I promise you this is one you don’t want to miss out on. We’ll see you at the Market.